The Basics of Sautéing

A simple cooking technique for delicious meals.

To sauté is to cook a food quickly in a hot pan with a small amount of butter or oil. When properly done, sautéing does not dry food out and the caramelized flavors left in the skillet when the food is done provide a wonderful base from which you can make a light, simple reduction sauce.

The Pan

A shallow, flat-bottomed pan or skillet is a must. Sauté pans are designed with wide, flat bottoms that provide enough room in the pan so the ingredients aren't crowded. The flat bottom of the pan also promotes even cooking. The surface area must be large enough for the food to move around easily, with space between the pieces. If the bottom is crowded the food will steam rather than brown properly, resulting in soggy food. When you are cooking for one or two, you'll need a pan that holds about 2 to 3 quarts; an 8- or 9-inch bottomed sauté pan or skillet is just right. If you are cooking for four or more, the food will need to be sautéed in batches.

A long-handled pan has several advantages. Even if you don't flip ingredients in the air as chefs do when they sauté, you will still slide the pan around on the burner, so you must maintain a good grip on the pan. You may also be moving it to the oven to finish cooking, so you want a handle that feels comfortable and stable to you.

The Fats and Oils

Sautéing puts a crust on food, and different types of fat will brown at different rates. Butter tends to brown more quickly than olive oil, and olive oil will brown more quickly than vegetable oil. Whichever you use, make sure the fat is very hot, and just barely -- if at all--smoking. The pan and the fat in it must be hot enough so that the food sears immediately and does not stick to the surface of the pan.

The Ingredients

Food must be cut to a uniform size, be completely dry, and at room temperature. Pieces need to be evenly cut so they will cook to doneness at the same time. If there is moisture on the food, it will steam and not brown. If the food is cold, it will reduce the heat and not sear properly. Meats and poultry are often breaded or dredged in flour to ensure a dry surface before adding to the hot fat, adding crunch and preventing the food from sticking to the surface. Food must be tender to begin with; the sauté process is quick and will not tenderize meats.

How to Sauté

Place the pan over a hot flame until the surface is extremely hot. If the pan is not very hot when food is placed in it, the pan will cool down rapidly and the food will stick.

Pour just enough of oil or butter into the hot pan to coat the bottom. Use less if it is a nonstick pan and you are especially concerned about calories. (If the oil or butter is added to a cold pan, it will burn by the time the pan is hot enough to properly saut.) Once the oil or butter begins to ripple, add the food. The first side exposed to the heat always produces the most attractive caramelized exterior, so consider which side of your meat you'll want to present, and cook that side first.

From here on, how you finish the dish depends on the cut of the ingredients. If you are cooking large pieces of meat, or thicker cuts of chicken or steak, you may need to reduce the heat once the food is seared in order to cook it through. But the beginning of the process remains the same; always start with a hot pan and reduce the heat, never the other way around.

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